Paul A. Eisenstein: Big Three make strong showing in quality ratings

Monday

Jun 21, 2010 at 12:01 AMJun 21, 2010 at 9:15 PM

Long the laggards, Detroit’s Big Three automakers surged in the latest annual study of off-the-line quality from J.D. Power and Associates. Ford Motor Co. surged to fifth among all manufacturers, a first for a Detroit maker. It was the highest-ranked of all mainstream brands.

Paul A. Eisenstein

Long the laggards, Detroit’s Big Three automakers surged in the latest annual study of off-the-line quality from J.D. Power and Associates.

Though Porsche ranked first overall in the 2010 Initial Quality Study, most European makers -- including Audi, BMW and Jaguar -- lagged below industry average. Land Rover was the lowest-rated of all brands included in the study.

Ford Motor Co. surged to fifth among all manufacturers, a first for a Detroit maker. It was the highest-ranked of all mainstream brands. Ford also captured four individual segment “wins,” with products like the 2010 Mustang.

While its luxury brand, Lexus, remained a top-five nameplate, Toyota took a severe tumble in the influential study, which measures owner complaints after approximately 90 days of ownership. The flagship brand fell from sixth a year ago to 21st and suffered an unusual 16-point increase in complaints, to 117 per 100 vehicles. The industry average for 2010 was 109.

The Japanese maker’s quality problems this year and subsequent recalls were obviously a factor, said David Sargent, Power’s director of global vehicle research. “Clearly,” he said, “Toyota has endured a difficult year.

On the positive side, Toyota and Lexus collectively took top honors in six of the 20 segments covered by the Initial Quality Study. In fact, the Lexus LS was the industry-best offering, with just 55 problems for every 100 vehicles.

While Detroit makers have been steadily marching up the quality ladder, several still came in below the industry average, including all four of Chrysler’s brands. But the newest marque, the Ram truck division, was just a point below the norm, and Chrysler’s quality rankings did go up significantly compared with last year.

So did Mini’s, though the British marque was still stuck four from the bottom among the 33 brands covered by the 2010 Initial Quality Study. Hyundai, meanwhile, slipped a bit compared with 2009, but it was still one of the few mainstream brands to rise above the industry average.

One of the most significant – and surprising – findings from the 2010 study is the way the industry is turning conventional wisdom about vehicle launches on its head. Traditionally, smart shoppers avoid brand-new offerings because they often experience an early run of trouble. But some of the best scores in the new study were posted by all-new or redesigned models, including the Mustang, Mercedes E-Class and Porsche Panamera.

Paul A. Eisenstein is an award-winning journalist who has spent more than 30 years covering the global auto industry. His work appears in a wide range of publications worldwide, and he is a frequent broadcast commentator on subjects automotive.